Break Bread at Saint-Germain’s

September 22, 2013

Story By: Yu Shing Ting | Photos by: Tony Grillo

One of my favorite childhood memories is going with my dad to Saint-Germain’s Bakery (when it was located at Shirokiya in Ala Moana Center) at least a couple of times a week for its fresh bread and pastries. Thirty years later, and I’m still a regular at Saint-Germain’s, except now it’s extra sentimental for me with my young children tagging along.

And while the bakery still offers many of the same items I grew up eating, such as its famous Japanese-style square loaf breads, French bread, raisin sticks and ham roll; it also, over the years, has expanded its offerings, as well as locations, including the newest one at Ala Moana Center, makai near Forever 21.

It’s the seventh Hawaii location for the company, which also owns Dee Lite Bakery, and the second one in Ala Moana Center where there also is a Saint-Germain’s near Foodland on the mauka side of the mall.

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Saint-Germain’s Bakery has two locations in Ala Moana Center

Festive Halloween Cookies ($1.95-$4.25) available Oct. 6

Macaroons ($2.25 each) available in mid-October

Halloween Cupcakes ($2.85 each) available Oct. 6

The new Ala Moana “makai” location offers the same selection as the “mauka” bakery, except for a few items, such as the new Croissant Donut (available with or without cream). Only about 100 are made daily and it usually sells out before noon. If you don’t make it there in time, Kouign Amann also is very popular and somewhat similar to the Croissant Donut. It’s an original French pastry made with multiple layers of alternating croissant dough, butter and sugar, and a caramelized crunchy crust.

Also new, starting Oct. 6, all Saint-Germain’s Bakery establishments will begin selling festive Halloween cookies (priced from $1.95 to $4.25 each) in the shapes of a witch hat, spider web, cat, jack-o-lantern (large and small), tombstone, ghost and bat. There also are cupcakes ($2.85 each) available in chocolate or vanilla topped with colorful sprinkled icing and a decorative toy.

Then, in mid-October, the bakeries will start offering macaroons ($2.25 each) available in nine flavors — lemon, salt caramel, chocolate ganache, vanilla bean, mocha, rose water, melon, strawberry and white chocolate. Made fresh from scratch, including the butter cream/ whipped cream filling, the colorful macaroons are a perfect treat for yourself, to take to a gathering or as a gift.

In addition to the great assortment of authentic Japanese and European-style breads and pastries, Saint-Germain’s also has pre-made and made-to-order sandwiches, as well as cakes, pies and desserts (my personal favorites are the Strawberry Shortcake and Japanese-style custard pudding).

The Japan-based company has been in Hawaii since 1977. Everything is made fresh daily using only the finest, natural ingredients and with no preservatives.